Transmission: light rays or electromagnetic waves bending through a different medium

All waves have a source (e.g. electromagnetic waves originate from vibrating charged particles)

All waves, except electromagnetic waves, transmit through a medium

Wavelengths in Visible Light

Electromagnetic Spectrum: electromagnetic waves ranging from low frequency, low energy, and long wavelength to high frequency, high energy, and short wavelength that originate from vibrating charges from the Sun; all electromagnetic waves travel at the same speed, or the speed of light (c = 300,000 km/sec or 186,000 miles/sec)

Refraction: light rays or electromagnetic waves bending through a different medium (e.g. air to water)

PROBLEMS WITH LIGHT AND MIRRORS

Spherical Aberration

Spherical Aberration: when light rays incident on the edges of the spherical mirror are focused at a different point from light rays incident closer to the center of the mirror –> blurry images; corrected by using parabolic mirrors

Chromatic Aberration

Chromatic Aberration: as light rays travel through a lens, different wavelength rays are bent by different amounts, resulting in different focal points

A “black-body” is an object which absorbs all light incident on it and doesn’t reflect or transmit any light. Black bodies are perfect emitters of light. Their classification depends only on temperature, and not other properties such as chemical composition; hence, black-body radiation is also “thermal” radiation. In 1900, Max Planck discovered that a black body emits an energy spectrum of light. Black body radiation includes lava flow (800 K), incandescent light bulbs – tungsten wire heated (2,800 K). Comparing two black bodies of different temperatures, the hotter black-body will: 1) emit more radiation (more luminous); 2) emit more photons; 3) peaks at shorter wavelengths; 4) have a bluer color. Measuring the shape of a star’s spectrum can reveal the star’s temperature.

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Astronomy: To Infinity and Beyond! Welcome to "The Cosmos." I will take you on a journey through our solar system, galaxy, and the Universe! You will be updated with current events in astronomy. Please click on the picture above to visit my blog on poetry, writings, and musings!

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References for photos used from websites can be found under the "References" page. Photo credit: news sites (reference included in post), NASA (most images used), and Google (for artists' view of objects unable to be photographed).